Infinitely Adjustable, Self Closing, Baby Swaddle Wrap

ABSTRACT

A wrap apparatus for a caregiver to secure a living article into a selected position, the wrap apparatus including a flexible panel that includes a primary side portion and an opposing secondary side portion with a flexible panel outer periphery portion. The flexible panel further includes a first margin portion and an opposing secondary margin portion with a major axis spanning therebetween, and a perpendicularly oriented first end portion and an opposing second end portion with a minor axis spanning therebetween. 
     Further included in the wrap apparatus is a hook fastener element disposed upon the secondary side portion and a loop fastener element disposed on the primary side portion, wherein operationally the flexible panel is wrapped around the living article such that the hook fastener element removably engages the loop fastener element to securely encase the living article.

RELATED PATENT APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/796,397 filed on Jan. 24, 2019 by Dashiell A. Glazer of Henderson, Nev., U.S.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to baby wraps or as termed swaddle devices for infants. More specifically, the present invention relates to the field of easily adjustable and secure baby swaddle wraps, for helping infants and newborns sleep safely thereby reducing the chances of “Sudden Infant Death”, in addition to helping to prevent infant hip dysplasia, while at the same time desirably the baby swaddle wrap resists becoming unwrapped from the infant.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Sudden infant death or as termed SIDS happens primarily for infants under 1 year old, is defined as occurring during sleep typically from the baby resting on their side or stomach as opposed to being preferably sleeping on their back, also desirable is a firm mattress, and no loose bedding. Hip dysplasia is defined as the hip joint socket not fully covering the ball of the hip joint that can lead to joint dislocation, in infants a soft brace can be used to help keep the hip ball in the hip socket for a few months to help mold the hip socket into the proper shape. The baby wrap helps to prevent both sudden infant death and hip dysplasia by assisting in keeping the baby on its back during sleep plus eliminating loose bedding and the wrap also helps to position the hip ball and socket in a proper position to promote the hip ball and socket to form properly.

A summary of prior art found in the baby/industrial fabric swaddle wrap arts follows;

U.S. Pat. No. 5,086,530 is a Baby Mattress Top Velcro Attachment to Blake, having novelty in the layered construction, utilizing hook and loop fasteners as applied to baby cribs.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,051,290 is an Electrical Fire Blanket Wrap to Stober, with novelty in the spiral attachment as a wrap type attachment for a splice portion of an electrical cable.

U.S. Pat. No. 9,750,352 is a Baby Carrier to Harris, with novelty in the blanket cover for holding a baby backpack style without the need of buckles, clamps, metal frame, or fasteners, and the like.

U.S. Pat. No. 9,032,963 is a Medical Baby Wrap to Grissom, with novelty in a special slot for securement, to hold babies during medical procedures.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,276,212 is a Baby Bath Wrap to Quintanilla, with novelty in the slits and hood that uses hook and loop fasteners that help prevent the wet baby from the bath from getting the caregiver wet.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,020,217 is a Baby Wrap to Moore, with novelty in the neck band and hood that uses snap fasteners for the hood, neck, and other portions, while allowing the baby wrap to be supported by the caregivers upper torso.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,243,724 is a Baby Wrap to Barnes, with novelty in the pocket and slot, this wrap converts between a blanket, a pad, or a carrier sling to support the baby.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,159,620 is a Pipe Wrap to Kissell, with novelty in the layering and two attachment strengths for attachment to the pipe.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,215,313 is a Kid Restraint to Waltz, with novelty in the aperture, this is to allow restraint of a limb for instance to receive medical treatment.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,360,014 is a Patient Restraint to Manahan, with novelty in the slits and strap, this is for securing a patient for various medical procedures.

US Patent Application Publication Number 2013/0172844 is a Undergarment to Coates, see FIG. 22, with novelty in the layering and pocket, that avoids patient exposure to the hook and loop fasteners.

US Patent Application Publication Number 2019/0290018 is a Baby Carrier to Jeneske, with the novelty in the extensions for torso attachment of the caregiver.

What is needed in the present invention is to be easily adjustable and easy to secure baby wrap which includes a two sided blanket that has a secondary side portion that has a partial hook area on the secondary side portion and has an opposing primary side portion that has a loop area that removably engages the partial hook area thus resulting in the baby wrap to be wrapped around the baby and securing onto itself without exposing the baby to the hook and loop areas.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Broadly, the present invention is a wrap apparatus for a caregiver to secure a living article into a selected position, the wrap apparatus including a flexible panel that includes a primary side portion and an opposing secondary side portion with a flexible panel outer periphery portion. The flexible panel further includes a first margin portion and an opposing secondary margin portion with a major axis spanning therebetween, and a perpendicularly oriented first end portion and an opposing second end portion with a minor axis spanning therebetween.

Further included in the wrap apparatus is a hook fastener element disposed upon the secondary side portion and a loop fastener element disposed on the primary side portion, wherein operationally the flexible panel is wrapped around the living article such that the hook fastener element removably engages the loop fastener element to securely encase the living article.

An object of the present invention is to prevent the baby from unwrapping the wrap from the inside outward that will help in the two main goals of helping to prevent both sudden infant death and hip dysplasia by assisting in keeping the baby on its back during sleep plus eliminating loose bedding and the wrap also helps to position the hip ball and socket in a proper position to promote the hip ball and socket to form properly to help prevent hip dysplasia, thus requiring that the wrap stay in place around the baby.

A further object is to help prevent loose bedding in addition to the above preventing the baby from unwrapping the wrap is to have the wrap itself retain a closed state further preventing loose bedding.

Another object of the present invention is for the hook and loop fasteners to accommodate infinite wrap adjustment positions to provide for having a more precise “fit” of the wrap on the baby which is important to the two main goals of helping to prevent both sudden infant death and hip dysplasia.

Continuing another object of the baby wrap is to have one size of the wrap usable for all sizes of baby's in going along with the previously described infinite wrap adjustment within the area of the wrap itself.

Moving onward another object of the present invention is for the baby wrap to accommodate a baby legs up or legs down position while retaining suggested guidelines for helping to heal hip dysplasia.

These and other objects of the present invention will become more readily appreciated and understood from a consideration of the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention when taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which;

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows top plan view of the baby wrap with the baby in its initial position upon the baby wrap; wherein specifically a flexible panel is shown with the secondary side portion exposed being adjacent to the baby being a baby contact portion of the secondary side with the with the hook fastener element adjacent to the outer periphery portion of the flexible panel thus the hook fastener element is not near the baby;

FIG. 2 again shows top plan view of the baby wrap with the baby in its initial position upon the baby wrap; wherein specifically the flexible panel is shown with the secondary side exposed being adjacent to the baby with the flexible panel initial fold around the baby's left side, note that the first end portion of the flexible panel remains open;

FIG. 3 also shows top plan view of the baby wrap with the baby in its initial position upon the baby wrap; wherein specifically the flexible panel is shown with the secondary side exposed being adjacent to the baby with the flexible panel initial fold around the baby's left side with the subsequent flexible panel fold over the baby's right side, note that the first end portion of the flexible panel remains open;

FIG. 4 also shows top plan view of the baby wrap with the baby in its initial position upon the baby wrap; wherein specifically the flexible panel is shown with the flexible panel first end portion folded upward toward the baby's head and on top of the initial and subsequent flexible panel folds being removably engaged via the hook and loop fasteners resulting in a firm and secure wrap around the baby; and

FIG. 5 shows cross section cut 5-5 from FIG. 4 to detail out the hook and loop fastener element removable engagement interface.

REFERENCE NUMBERS IN DRAWINGS

-   50 Wrap apparatus -   55 Living article -   60 Baby -   65 Head on the baby 60 -   70 Left side of the baby 60 -   75 Right side of the baby 60 -   80 Feet of baby 60 -   85 Initial baby 60 position -   90 Selected position of the living article 55 or baby 60 -   95 Selected position of the living article 55 or baby 60 for sudden     infant death and/or hip dysplasia prevention help -   100 Initial flexible panel 110 fold -   105 Subsequent flexible panel 110 fold -   110 Flexible panel -   115 Primary side portion of the flexible panel 110 -   120 Entire area of the primary side portion 115 -   125 Secondary side portion of the flexible panel 110 -   130 Outer periphery portion of the flexible panel 110 -   135 First margin portion of the flexible panel 110 -   140 Secondary margin portion of the flexible panel 110 -   145 First end portion of the flexible panel 110 -   150 Second end portion of the flexible panel 110 -   155 Major axis of the flexible panel 110 -   160 Minor axis of the flexible panel 110 -   165 Perpendicular orientation of the major 155 and minor 160 axes -   170 Hook fastener element -   175 Loop fastener element -   180 Flexible panel wrapped around the living article 55 or baby 60 -   185 Removable engagement of the hook 170 and loop 175 fastener     elements -   190 Securely encase the living article 55 or baby 60 -   195 Disposing the hook fastener element 170 adjacent to the flexible     panel 110 outer periphery portion 130 -   200 Disposing the hook fastener element 170 adjacent to the first     margin portion 135 and the first end portion 145 -   205 First wrap of the secondary margin portion 140 around the living     article 55 or baby 60 -   210 Subsequent wrap of the fist margin portion 135 around the living     article 55 or baby 60 -   215 Third wrap of the first end portion 145 from the first end     portion 145 position to the second end portion 150 around the living     article 55 or baby 60 -   220 Loop fastener element 175 continuously disposed over an entire     area 120 of the primary side portion 115 of the flexible panel 110 -   225 Plurality of separate selected areas of the hook fastener     element 170 -   230 Retaining shear strength of the wrap apparatus 50 around the     living article 55 or baby 60 at the removable engagement 185 of the     hook 170 and loop 175 fastener elements -   235 Non hook fastener element 170 area on the secondary side portion     125

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With initial reference to FIG. 1 shown is the top plan view of the baby wrap apparatus 50 with the baby 60 in its initial position 85 upon the baby wrap apparatus 50; wherein specifically a flexible panel 110 is shown with the secondary side portion 125 exposed being adjacent to the baby 60 being a baby contact portion of the secondary side portion 125 with the hook fastener element 170 adjacent to the outer periphery portion 130 of the flexible panel 110 thus the hook fastener element 170 is not near the baby 60.

Next, FIG. 2 again shows top plan view of the baby wrap apparatus 50 with the baby 60 in its initial position 85 upon the baby wrap apparatus 50; wherein specifically the flexible panel 110 is shown with the secondary side portion 125 exposed being adjacent to the baby 60 with the flexible panel 110 initial fold 100 around the baby's 60 left side 70, note that the first end portion 145 of the flexible panel 110 remains open.

Continuing, FIG. 3 also shows top plan view of the baby wrap apparatus 50 with the baby 60 in its initial position upon the baby wrap apparatus 50; wherein specifically the flexible panel 110 is shown with the secondary side portion 125 exposed being adjacent to the baby 60 with the flexible panel 110 initial fold 100 around the baby's 60 left side 70 with the subsequent flexible panel 110 fold 105 over the baby's 60 right side 75, note that the first end portion 145 of the flexible panel 110 remains open.

Further, FIG. 4 also shows top plan view of the baby wrap apparatus 50 with the baby 60 in its initial position upon the baby wrap apparatus 50; wherein specifically the flexible panel 110 is shown with the flexible panel 110 first end portion 145 folded upward toward the baby's 60 head 65 and on top of the initial and subsequent flexible panel 110 folds 105 being removably engaged 185 via the hook 170 and loop 175 fasteners resulting in a firm and secure wrap around the baby 60. In addition, FIG. 5 shows cross section cut 5-5 from FIG. 4 to detail out the hook 170 and loop 175 fastener element removable engagement 185 interface.

Broadly, in referring to FIGS. 1 to 5, the present invention is a wrap apparatus 50 for a caregiver to secure a living article 55 or baby 60 into a selected position 90, the wrap apparatus 50 including the flexible panel 110 that includes the primary side portion 115 and the opposing secondary side portion 125 with the flexible panel 110 outer periphery portion 130. The flexible panel 110 further includes the first margin portion 135 and the opposing secondary margin portion 140 with the major axis 155 spanning therebetween, and the perpendicularly oriented 165 first end portion 145 and the opposing second end portion 150 with the minor axis 160 spanning therebetween.

Further included in the wrap apparatus 50 is the hook fastener element 170 disposed upon the secondary side portion 125 and the loop fastener element 175 disposed on the primary side portion 115, wherein operationally the flexible panel 110 is wrapped around the living article 55 or baby 60 such that the hook fastener element 170 removably engages 185 the loop fastener element 175 to securely encase the living article 55 or baby 60, again see FIGS. 1 to 5.

As an alternative for the wrap apparatus 50, the hook fastener element 170 can be further disposed adjacent 195 to the flexible panel 110 outer periphery 130 to operationally help prevent the hook fastener element 170 from contacting the living article 55 or baby 60, as best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

As a further alternative for the wrap apparatus 50, wherein the hook fastener element 170 can be further disposed 200 adjacent 195 to the first margin portion 135 and the first end portion 145 to operationally facilitate the second margin portion 140 to be wrapped first 205 around the living article 55 or baby 60 followed by the first margin portion 135 to be wrapped subsequent 210 around the living article or baby 60, and the first end portion 145 to be wrapped thirdly 215 from the first end portion 145 position to the second end portion 150 around the living article 55 or baby 60 to firmly and securely encase 190 and wrap 180 the living article 55 or baby 60, reference FIGS. 1 to 4.

Another option for the wrap apparatus 50, wherein the loop fastener element 175 is continuously disposed 220 over an entire area 120 of the primary side portion 115 of the flexible panel 110 to operationally allow an unlimited number of different removably engagable 185 positions as between the hook 170 and loop 175 fastener elements within the entire primary side portion 115 area 120 to accommodate different sizes of the living article 55 or baby 60, see in particular FIG. 5.

A further option for the wrap apparatus, wherein the hook fastener element 170 is further divided 225 into a plurality of separate selected areas having the effect of reducing a hook fastener element 170 area thus operationally to control the total amount of retaining shear strength 230 of the wrap apparatus 50 encasing the living article 55 or baby 60, reference FIGS. 1 to 4.

In a summary sense, the flexible panel 110 has the hook fastener element 170 located on part of the secondary side portion 125 of the flexible panel 110 adjacent to the flexible panel outer periphery 130, and the mating loop fastener element 175 is on the primary side portion 115 of the flexible panel 110, thus giving the hook fastener element 170 an open loop fastener element 175 area to removably engage 185 with, that allows for an infinite amount of positional removable engagements 185 upon the flexible panel 110 primary side portion 115 resulting in a firm and secure wrap around the baby 60 that can be of any size, wherein the baby 60 contact area of the secondary side portion 125 of the flexible panel 110 has neither hook 170 or loop 175 fastener elements area present for better baby 60 comfort, see FIG. 1 in particular.

The primary side portion 115 of the flexible panel 110 is preferably a soft touch loop fastener element 175 receptive surface, acceptable alternatives would be brushed polyester fabric, non woven fabric (felt), or substitutes thereof that could include but are not limited to;

-   Brushed polyester warp knit tricot fabric -   Brushed poly blend warp knit tricot fabric -   Brushed nylon warp knit tricot fabric -   Brushed nylon blend warp knit tricot fabric -   Brushed natural warp knit tricot fabric -   Wool felt -   Polyester felt -   Cotton felt -   Blended felt -   For the baby 60 contact area of the secondary side portion 125 of     the flexible panel 110 is preferably; -   A non hook receptive fabric that can be; -   Knit or woven fabric or any suitable equivalent

Conclusion

Accordingly, the present invention of the wrap apparatus has been described with some degree of particularity directed to the embodiments of the present invention. It should be appreciated, though; that the present invention is defined by the following claims construed in light of the prior art so modifications or changes may be made to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention without departing from the inventive concepts contained therein. 

1. A wrap apparatus for a caregiver to secure a living article into a selected position, said wrap apparatus comprising: (a) a flexible panel that includes a primary side portion and an opposing secondary side portion with a flexible panel outer periphery portion, said flexible panel further includes a first margin portion and an opposing secondary margin portion with a major axis spanning therebetween, and a perpendicularly oriented first end portion and an opposing second end portion with a minor axis spanning therebetween; (b) a hook fastener element disposed upon said secondary side portion; and (c) a loop fastener element disposed on said primary side portion, wherein operationally said flexible panel is wrapped around the living article such that said hook fastener element removably engages said loop fastener element to securely encase the living article.
 2. A wrap apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said hook fastener element is further only disposed adjacent to said flexible panel outer periphery creating a non hook fastener element area to operationally help prevent said hook fastener element from contacting the living article.
 3. A wrap apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said hook fastener element is further disposed only adjacent to said first margin portion and said first end portion to operationally facilitate said second margin portion to be wrapped first around the living article followed by the first margin portion to be wrapped subsequent around the living article, and said first end portion to be wrapped thirdly from said first said end portion position to said second end portion around the living article to firmly and securely encase the living article.
 4. A wrap apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said loop fastener element is continuously disposed over an entire area of said primary side portion of said flexible panel to operationally allow an unlimited number of different removably engagable positions as between said hook and loop fastener elements within said entire primary side portion area to accommodate different sizes of the living article.
 5. A wrap apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said hook fastener element is further divided into a plurality of separate selected areas having the effect of reducing a hook fastener element area thus operationally to control the total amount of retaining shear strength of said wrap apparatus encasing the living article. 